Together
by Snoopy3
Summary: A story on the post FFIX events. A new life for all the characters and a new challenge also. The growing love between Garnet and Zidane is portrayed in this story. A new evil has come up from the depths of the earth and only Zidane and Garnet can ge the c
1. Default Chapter

1 Chapter 1: New Found Doubt  
  
"I told you these women get in your head and twist it like a fuckin….." Baku  
  
Zidane's crown shimmered in the early morning light, Alexandria was nearly finished and all paranoia of a newly born evil was distant. Alexandria has been slowly rebuilt to perfection, looking even more glamorous and beautiful as it had once been. The castle was now a perfect off-white tint glimmering in the sunlight, much of the interior of the castle had been remodeled and had been completely ripped of any items or pictures that had anything to do with Brahn and her evil doings. New carpet was installed in every room and the new plush red was soft and squishy under your feet. The mass amounts of rooms in the castle had been quite a burden and the royal committee had figured they had to take advantage of the surplus, special visitors from all over the world could now stay in these rooms. Although the committee knew that it was quite a dangerous decision they also knew that all of the gil that would be poured in would go straight to the rebuilding process of Alexandria and in the long run would be worth it.  
  
At every hallway and courtyard the knights patrolled…yes the knights, the newly restructured Knights of Pluto, led by none other than Sir Rust-a- lot…er Captain Steiner. The Knights were in shambles and were described no less than idiotic by the committee and by the public, therefore something had to be done. Zidane had brought in the Chief commander of the Lindblum Army for somewhat of a "motivational speech." The commander was disgusted at the sight of the disgrace of human beings in front of him, from that point on the commander vowed to bring Alexandria's army to the top. The commander held a "tryout" or mini-camp if you will, at Alexandria and men and women from all over the world came to participate. The training was rigorous and the separation from weak and strong were very obvious from day one, only 30 members were to be elected to the Knights of Pluto and the competition was slowly growing stronger. By the end of the camp many understood that it wasn't pure athleticism and strength that would be the key to be apart of the Knights, it was wit and strategy and patience that scored the real points. The attendants were put through activities such as solving puzzles and reconassaince missions. As a result of these seemingly ridiculous tests, many had left in search of a more smash-mouth form of violence. This is exactly what the commander had hoped for and he knew that the ones remaining were the complete warriors both cerebral and physical he was in search for. The commander put together the now daunted Knights of Pluto, and in the process mentoring Captain Steiner to be the leader he was meant to be.  
  
With Alexandria in a full-fledged sprint towards greatness, King Zidane and Queen Garnet had done an amazing job of putting the half ruined city back together. It had been 3 years and they have both been Moogle Magazine's Man and Woman of the Year.  
  
"Jesus Christ Zidane what the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"Come on boss that's the greeting I get nowadays?" Zidane retorted sarcastically.  
  
"Well I haven't seen ya in bout' a year…well personally anyways, I've been starin at your ugly face on pictures for too long."  
  
"I love you too man…so what's been goin on around here?, if you wana kidnap me sometime soon that'd be great" Zidane stated with somewhat of a weary tone.  
  
"I told you these women get in your head and twist it like a fuckin--"  
  
"no no no nothing like that, its just I miss you guys and I miss eating with my hands you know what I'm saying?  
  
"well hey you got yourself into it" remarked Baku.  
  
"Well I don't think I had a choice but to save the world, the people who saved the world aren't going to go unnoticed for too long Bak" Zidane's wit and smartassness was coming back to him.  
  
"So what are you trying to tell me Zidane?"  
  
"…well I mean I love Garnet and I love the city of Alexandria, but the whole being the king part isn't soaking in yet, I'm used to roaming free and cussing and burping and….you know all that good stuff, and now I'm startin to get that ugly royal accent, but I can't just visit you guys every week so you can keep me in check, I'm way too busy for that. God I hate being busy." Zidane was now looking at the ground observing the swinging shadow of Baku's key chain, realizing that this had been the first time he had opened himself up in quite a manner.  
  
"You know Zidane I love how you sidestep the real meaning, you don't have to sugar coat for me, you don't wana be king, you wana be able to scratch your balls and not be on a tabloid the next day, you want to be able to say this food tastes like shit without being reprimanded….the list goes on my friend, and all I'm wondering about is how your gonna deal with this"  
  
Baku's friendship with Zidane was so close and Zidane knew that whatever Baku had to say was real and true, if anybody else had told Zidane something like that, Zidane would have simply ignored him and called him crazy.  
  
"I'm still workin on that"  
  
***  
  
Garnet sat in her room gently combing her beautiful milk chocolate brown hair, simply observing herself in the mirror. She had just gotten out of the shower and was wearing a silk white robe that hung down to her ankles. She wondered when the last time she hadn't worn make-up was, Dali…when Zidane was teaching her how to speak basically a totally different language to her. Somehow she felt comfortable not putting on her basic elements of fake beauty that day around Zidane, another trait in him that she loved…he loved her for who she was, not for her beauty…well not completely anyways. The day was still young, 7 A.M. to be exact, Zidane had left her side about an hour ago to revisit his old buddies. Under normal circumstances she was never alone like this, and never really had time to think or relax. She was grateful for this, but she knew that it couldn't last long, because the world isn't perfect and there's always somethi…….  
  
"Your majesty I hate interrupting you at your leisure, but you need to come to the Round Table immediately!" Steiner shouted outside her door, afraid if he walked in he might catch something inappropriate, including a hand in the face.  
  
My goodness perhaps I'm clairvoyant!!  
  
"Yes Steiner let me slip into my wardrobe and I'll be joining you shortly"  
  
"Thank you your majesty, but please hurry" Steiner stated with an amusingly stressed tone.  
  
Maybe I'll just join them in my pajamas…although I don't think the nobles would think too highly of me. I hate worrying about what other people think of me, and I hate being busy. 


	2. Impure Thoughts

Chapter 2 – Impure Thoughts  
  
"Well since you'd like me to explain I'll tell you the truth plain and simple. actually…lets just say I was having feminine problems, and sometimes I can get quite irritable." Queen Garnet  
  
It was hard enough getting to the hideout undetected and mobbed by the citizens of Lindblum, but now he had to get out undetected also. Zidane was of course a master of disguise, and always loved a new challenge. Zidane had slipped off his royal garments and threw on some raggedy clothes Baku still had kept from a couple years ago. His hair was incredibly noticeable so he needed a hat of some sort, he pulled Cinna's collectors edition Deguerro Jones hat from the hook and took off. Zidane walked fast and efficiently to the trolly leading out of the theater district, eyes darting back and forth for any potential citizens who may blow his cover. He nodded to the trolly worker and slipped inside undetected. As he sat in the seat of the trolly, he felt the unmistakable warmth of a giant smile. He slowly cocked his eyes to the left and saw a young girl with a gigantic smile on her face, looking directly at him.  
  
1 Of all the years I've done this, never have I been caught by a little kid. Nah she's just a happy kid…that's all.  
  
But the idea still lingered in his mind as the big smile was distracting him.  
  
2 What could that kid possibly be smiling at?  
  
As minutes past, the girl got closer and closer, and Zidane realized she was not looking at his face, but she sunk to almost sitting on the ground, where she was eyelevel with his wrist….  
  
3 Shit  
  
He knew he forgot to cover something up, and that was the wedding gift he received from Dr. Trot. A hand crafted gold and silver wrist band accompanied by small sapphire, ruby, and emerald stones on top. It was priceless, and for a little girl it was the holy grail. She inched closer and closer, now only about 3 feet away from him. Zidane attempted discreetly to pretend like he was fixing his hat, but as soon as he moved it…  
  
"Waaaaaaaaaa!!!" bellowed the little child.  
  
Zidane quickly put his hand back to keep the child as quiet possible, not wanting the girls parents to come and investigate.  
  
The ride to the castle was quick and when the announcement was made that they had arrived, he quickly put his index finger on the girl's lips motioning her to stay quiet and patted her on the head. He reached into his pocket pulled out a gil and handed it to the little girl, she seemed to appreciate it…appreciate the golden color in the coin that is, but anyhow she seemed occupied enough to let Zidane quickly slide out of the Trolly.  
  
Zidane entered the castle and made his way to the transport tunnel. The tunnel was newly built for people to easily go from Lindblum to Alexandria or vice versa. He entered the oval like pod that would be transporting him, buckling himself up and closing the glass pull down up above him he signaled to the transporting engineer to send him off.  
  
***  
  
Garnet's thirst had overwhelmed her, she had had nothing to drink since last night before she fell asleep and decided to call out to her servant for a glass of water.  
  
"Cleaves would you bring me a glass of water?" stated the princess nonchalantly.  
  
No answer.  
  
"Cleaves…"  
  
But cleaves is always close enough for him to hear me, oh well I guess I'll have to make my way to the kitchen.  
  
It was then that she realized she had not put on her royal garments yet. She quickly put on the uncomfortable and heavy dress she wears everyday and proceeded out the door.  
  
It has been long since she had to get her own glass of water, but somehow it felt good and self assuring that she wasn't too snobby and could do things on her own without depending on others. She walked down the stairs to the kitchen and saw that the kitchen crew was working hard as usual for her…delayed morning breakfast. As she walked in she saw that the crew all of a sudden was working faster and harder, as if she was there boss or something. Which she was, but she was always satisfied with the delicious culinary delights she was presented with every meal of her day. She shook it off and walked over to the sink, pulled out a glass from up above and filler her cup. She took a sip and she could feel the cold liquid run through her throat and for a moment she was very happy…until she realized the kitchen crew was eyeing her with twisted faces of bewildering amusement. She blushed and quickly walked out of the kitchen chuckling to herself. She had just remembered that she was supposed to be at the Round Table which was conveniently right across the hallway of the kitchen, she walked over to the room and opened the door with her left hand, with the glass of water in the other. She suddenly stopped and observed the puzzled looks on the committee's faces.  
  
"I'm very sorry my throat was a bit parched and I desperately needed a glass of water" Garnet said with a weary voice.  
  
The stern look on Head Noble Quincy 's face was a very bad sign, the last time he had such a stern look on his face, he had executed 2 Alexandrian citizens without her permission.  
  
"Your majesty I have been talking to the head nobles and officials of Treno and they seem to have complaints about your attitude at the Annual Joint Dinner Party held last week, you seem to have come across as a loner or stuck up rich girl as I've heard from many" replied Quincy was a stern confidence in his tone.  
  
Garnet had heard enough, of all the problems this world can face, she's confronted with a personal problem.  
  
This is ridiculous, I was sent down here early in the morning to hear about how a bunch of old people don't like my attitude…it wasn't my fault anyways  
  
"Well since you'd like me to explain I'll tell you the truth plain and simple. actually…lets just say I was having feminine problems, and sometimes I can get quite irritable."  
  
Satisfied with her answer, she glanced around the room waiting for a response.  
  
"With all due respect your majesty, your duty as a queen does not allow you to be respectful whenever you feel like it" Quincy boldly stated  
  
What is happening here? I've never been treated like this in my life! Why couldn't they just ask me to apologize? I just feel like I've been mocked and humiliated!  
  
Garnet glanced around the room once more before she quickly walked back to her room in a frenzy of emotions, both mad and hurt. She wanted to see Zidane, she wanted to hug him and kiss him and tell him how she was hurt. But he had been gone for almost 4 hours now, and once again she was in her room by herself. But she did indeed have time to think.  
  
  
  
I have to get these ridiculous thoughts out of my head, I can't do anything like that, I would betray my whole kingdom…I can't… 


	3. Not in the mood

Chapter 3 – Not in the Mood  
  
[I]"Now is not an ideal time to make such comments Zidane" Captain Steiner[/I]  
  
Steiner was angered at the comments made by Quincy, he disagreed with him completely and understood to an extent why his Queen would be…a bit ill- tempered. He was just about to run after his queen when he stopped himself and remember how she had told him that sometimes she needed time to reflect and be alone, Steiner respected her and chose to confront her about it at a more appropriate time. With that Steiner turned around and gave Quincy a sharp look. He walked out of the room into the large hallway hearing the door close behind him. He looked to the right where there were a pair of ruby red carpeted stairways going in both direction, above the walkway leading to each of the stairways there was a beautiful mural of none other than Zidane and Garnet embracing with joy. He slowly trudged up to the walkway directly facing the mural. It's been almost two months since Beatrix had left his side to investigate Shimmering Island, with no word from her.  
  
"But Beatrix I can go with you, the Knights of Pluto will protect the queen, they are almost as well trained as I"  
  
"Steiner, you have a job, and that is to ensure the safety of the queen, the Knights of Pluto are indeed strong and skilled, but you possess something more…something that I love. I won't be long, I will contact you whenever I can."  
  
Beatrix stared into her lover's eyes and she could feel the sorrow in him. She was the only person who could see Steiner's true nature. She loved him and he loved her, they were both protectors of the queen, and it was a match made in heaven. But Beatrix felt she had no purpose here, the protectors of the queen are now the Knights of Pluto, they are the most skilled and dangerous warriors on the continent, and with that Beatrix felt hopeless and insignificant, she needed to pursue her dreams.  
  
"But Bea…"  
  
The pockets in her eyes started to swell.  
  
"Steiner…I will see you again, I promise you"  
  
Right then, Steiner knew it was going to be something more than what she had told him. He knew she had something to do…and he wasn't going to stop her, because he loved her.  
  
With a salute, Beatrix leaned over and gave Steiner a kiss, then she was gone.  
  
When Steiner snapped out of the reverie that was Beatrix, he decided to take a walk.  
  
***  
  
Unfortunately the underground transporting tunnel could not be connected directly to the castle because of the ancient water pipe and pump system used in Alexandria. So he was transported to the dock on the west side of Alexandria near Ruby's theater. He climbed up the ladder of the pier and stood on the shaky wood stretching his legs and arms out, several bones in his body cracked and popped as Zidane let out a satisfying grunt. The townspeople waved as they passed.  
  
[I]That's why I love Alexandria, the people don't tackle me when they see me, I'm like a friend and I'm treated like a fellow citizen. Man I love it.[/I]  
  
Zidane strolled past Ruby's theater and saw a massive crowd of people in the open marketplace.  
  
[I]Must be a sale or something[/I]  
  
He quickly and quietly went around the crowd, because if they all saw him he'd definitely get mauled. As he walked a little farther he spotted the massive glistening masterpiece of what was, the castle. It had been a long time since he's seen the whole castle up front like this, and he must admit it was quite stunning. He paced to where the ferry would take him to the castle when he spotted Steiner sitting on a nearby bench. He plopped down in the seat next to him.  
  
"Gosh, Captain Steiner Knight of Pluto isn't having an emotional moment is he?" Zidane said with half compassion and half sarcasm.  
  
"Now is not an ideal time to make such comments Zidane"  
  
Zidane noticed the sorrow in his voice and felt his heart warm a little.  
  
"Since when are you calling me by my first name? You know I could fire your disrespectful little ass…hehe come on man you know I'm kiddin, so what's buggin you?"  
  
Steiner has not yet completely trusted Zidane, but he still looked to him as a friend…and are one of the only people who could call him by his first name without saying your majesty.  
  
"Many things…I think I may be overreacting. Has Beatrix contacted you yet?"  
  
[I]So that's what he's sulking about…come to think of it I haven't heard much of her either[/I]  
  
"Actually no I haven't its been a while hasn't it?" replied Zidane with a worried look on his face.  
  
Steiner was very worried, Zidane could sense it in his eyes and his movements…hell he could sense it in his comments.  
  
Steiner got up and was about go back to the castle when his foot got caught under the bench and he nearly fell on his face if he didn't put his hand down to keep his balance.  
  
"Son of a bitc…." Steiner exclaimed holding back the closet of cusses he was about to pour out.  
  
Steiner stood up and took a deep breath.  
  
"I see your not havin a great day, mine hasn't been too dandy either. Come on lets get back to the castle." Said Zidane with compassion that scared even him.  
  
"The queen isn't in the greatest of moods at the moment I think you should go see her once we get back"  
  
[I]She's my wife what do you think I'm gonna do?[/I]  
  
But holding back any smartass comments, Zidane felt a little sympathy.  
  
"Yeah, that's a good idea, thanks"  
  
***  
  
[I]Why am I crying? I hate crying…I shouldn't care what others think of me, it wasn't my fault[/I]  
  
She was sitting in the cemetery, curled up in a little ball with her knees to her chest weeping for something, in her mind, that was just plain stupid.  
  
It was a clear autumn day with brown, yellow, and orange leaves falling from the trees that towered over her. She remembered that this was the very spot where she had butchered her hair in front of Zidane. The look on his face was priceless and if she could have a picture of it….  
  
[I]Whenever I think of him I feel happy, I don't think I could live without him, he's the only one that could keep me going…I need him now[/I] 


	4. Corruption

Chap 4 – Corruption  
  
1 "So umm, you guys can't make me a little omelet or some pancakes or…." Amarant  
  
Serenity, it was the name of one of the many courtyards in the castle. But it was bye far the most beautiful. Stone steps paved the way onto bridges arching over clean and clear running water. Small fish could be spotted happily frolicking in the crisp waters beneath. The beautiful running waters were accompanied by milk white tulips and soft floating lilies swaying in the current. Every direction you look you see rose red balconies admiring Serenity from up above.  
  
Garnet slowly paced over the small arches that were bridges and thought of the fish, and how easy of a life they lived, the water was always flowing with no distractions and interrupti….She felt the warmth of a body and two arms slide over her waist.  
  
2 Zidane  
  
"I'm sorry baby I didn't mean to take so long." Zidane softly stated.  
  
"Oh my god where have you been…?" She was now starting to cry.  
  
"Hey its ok I'm here with you now I didn't mean to make you worry"  
  
"I wasn't worried about you…I just missed you" She told him with tears running down her face.  
  
"baby….don't make me start jerkin tears now, you know if the guys saw me do that they'd…"  
  
Zidane looked deep into her eyes and saw that something was hurting her and he knew that he had to be by her side.  
  
Although Zidane was a sarcastic, straight-forward…smartass, when it came to helping people with there problems, and being compassionate, he was very gifted. He knew what to say and how to make the person feel good, and many loved him for that. But they wished he was always that compassionate and soothing, but he knew if he did it he'd come across a little creepy, and that the good-natured assholeness was a part of him that kept him in check.  
  
"It's getting a little chilly out here, lets go inside" Zidane took her hand with a smile and led her inside.  
  
"I don't like to see you like this Garnet, it makes me sad, and I don't like to be sad" he said with a smile.  
  
For some reason Zidane was the only person who could make her smile, he had something that most men didn't, and she was grateful for that.  
  
"A lot of things have been going through my head today, I just can't handle it sometimes"  
  
Wow Steiner just told me the same thing…whats going on here? People around here are falling apart.  
  
"Don't worry baby I haven't had the greatest day either…"  
  
3 Come to think of it I haven't had a good day either, what's happening to all of us?  
  
Zidane look up at pure beauty, he licked his lips and popped the question.  
  
"Are you getting overwhelmed and sick of this? Don't you wana walk around without be mauled? Don't you wana scratch your….er I mean don't you wana sleep in sometimes? Don't you wish your life was like a fish in running water where its always moving, no distractions and no interrupt…."  
  
Garnet's warm lips covered his, he closed his eyes and kissed her back. He could feel her body radiate against his, it had been a long time since they've kissed…kissed this passionately. But it couldn't have come at a better time, both their stress had been building up to this point, and at this moment they let it all out with every touch. They both withdrew slowly, eyes still closed, they opened them at the same time. Garnet turned her head to the side and rested it on Zidane's chest, neither of them had to speak, it wasn't necessary. They both fell into a deep sleep that they both needed.  
  
***  
  
"Man what time is it…? Holy shit its one o'clock already?! I really gotta go to sleep earlier…I'm hungry"  
  
Since Amarant contributed to the saving of the world, and he had no place to live, Zidane and the others agreed it would be ok for him to live at the castle until he got a job and could support himself. He was quite the party animal and his usual wake up time was about noon.  
  
Amarant made his way down to the kitchen to find that breakfast had been already been served.  
  
"So umm, you guys can't make me a little omelet or some pancakes or…."  
  
Before he finished the sentence he saw the stern glares he was receiving and decided to get out of there as quick as he could.  
  
No food at the castle…oh shit…I gotta go to the bar in town…I think I got kicked out of there last night…oh well  
  
Amarant trudged through the village down to the bar, he walked in slowly and noticed that nobody was looking at him funny. He walked over to the bar and sat down. Amarant's attitude has been far better since Zidane and Garnet's wedding…where he had to make a speech. He's been watching his attitude toward others, and slowly townspeople and the nobles have started to respect him a little.  
  
"We don't serve drinks this early" the bartender said with a sarcastic tint in his voice.  
  
Why do you think I'd order a drink this early? Is it how I look? …god I hate people who come to conclusions  
  
"I know….I just wanted some breakfast" Amarant said holding back some comments.  
  
"A little late isn't it…? Anyhow, we got strawberry waffles, French toast, a southwestern omelet, or anything from our lunch menu."  
  
Amarant's mouth was watering and if he could get all of it he'd be satisfied.  
  
"…Sir"  
  
"oh ya sorry, umm…I'll take the omelet" Amarant managed to spit out.  
  
"Comin right up sir"  
  
Amarant put his head down on the counter and rubbed his eyes, he needed a shower and he needed something for his breath.  
  
"Hey did you hear about the queens bitchy attitude?"  
  
Amarant could hear the voices behind him and he adjusted his chair for a better listen.  
  
"No what happened?"  
  
"The nobles of Treno held some kind of party and the queen had to attend…she came across as a bitchy stuck up spoiled little princess. Its only been a couple years and she's already giving the "New Alexandria" a bad name."  
  
"Head Noble Quincy isn't too happy with her…you didn't hear this from me but I hear that the Nobles have been running a little search for a "backup" to queen Garnet."  
  
"Why would she need a back up? Its not like she's going to quit…do you think our government is sending a message?"  
  
"Seems so, we'll see what happens."  
  
Amarant looked at his food and began to ponder the possibilities.  
  
Corruption only after 3 years? Whats happening? Is our king and queen being overthrown as we speak? 


	5. All for love

Chapter 5 – All for love  
  
1 "Whoa hey there rusty, you seem…a little too cheery for my liking." Zidane  
  
Beatrix knew it was going to be hard, but not this hard. She had trekked from Alexandria to Dali to Maiden Sari and still nothing.  
  
"I'm sorry Beatrix I wish I could help you" Eiko said compassionately.  
  
"No its ok…I just need SOMETHING to base my life upon…and I can't find it."  
  
Beatrix was losing hope, but she knew there were a couple more places to go.  
  
"Beatrix…? Do you know where Mognet Central is? I'm pretty sure they have a complete archive of people who may have visited there or have used their mail system."  
  
Beatrix's eyes lit up. New hope had arrived and she had not even thought about Mognet Central.  
  
"My god your right! Eiko what would I do without you?!" Beatrix exclaimed, making Eiko jump a little.  
  
"Okay, okay calm down killer, but crash here for tonight I don't want you to leave without a goodnights sleep and some good food."  
  
Beatrix agreed but looked at her a little funny.  
  
"Did you say GOOD food?" Beatrix mocked.  
  
"Hey watch it! I can marinate it with my spit if you aren't careful." She snapped back.  
  
"Calm down killer I was just joking."  
  
Shaking her head Eiko walked Beatrix to her room.  
  
^^^  
  
The boat ride to Mognet Central wasn't quite as long as she expected, the forecast had called for some occasionally fierce winds, but it had been sunny and calm since morning. Her day had started out the way she wanted. As she arrived at Mognet Central she could not believe what she saw. It looked more like an amusement park than the world's only postal service. Mognet Central was electrified on top of the building in tie-dye colors with a fake plastic moogle spinning inside the "o" in Mognet.  
  
She walked into the flashy entrance while being greeted by many friendly moogles. She ran the service bell on the counter and Mindy Moogle…as it had indicated on her nametag, was at her service.  
  
"What can I do for you young lady?" asked Mindy.  
  
"Yes, I was wondering if you have the records of people who have used this service." Asked Beatrix nervously.  
  
"Why yes of course! Please wait a moment."  
  
Beatrix had slowly broken into a cold sweat and was tapping her fingers fiercely. She was never this nervous, not in battle, not in anything.  
  
Mindy came floating back with a piece of paper in her hand. She handed it to Beatrix.  
  
"We do have archives and unsent letters, but the limited space in this facility has prevented us from storing such papers…but we did have them shipped to Esto Gaza. It is in some sort of large safe or warehouse, on this piece of paper I've provided you with the key, if the key does not work use the combination written on the bottom left hand corner."  
  
Beatrix hit almost 5 waves of emotions and almost forgot if she had been told something good or not.  
  
"Wait…so there are archives?" she managed to stammer.  
  
"…yes, do you need me to explain once more?"  
  
"no that's…not necessary thank you very much."  
  
As she was about to sprint out of the doorway, she caught herself and sensed something strange.  
  
"Wait a second…why are you giving me a key and a combo for you secret archives?" Beatrix asked with a tone of suspiciousness.  
  
"It is not secret at all, they haven't been touched in ages, it might even benefit us for you to investigate…because for all we know they are all deteriorated."  
  
Beatrix was satisfied with Mindy's answer and started to turn around when something had hit her.  
  
Investigate….? Steiner…Shimmering Island…I need to tell him I'm ok…how long has it been?  
  
"Excuse me…one more thing, I want to send a letter to Kupo in Alexandria."  
  
***  
  
Steiner had declined to go back to the castle and went down into town to calm down and reflect. As he walked down to the marketplace he saw the great citizens of Alexandria selling and haggling left and right. Families everywhere…families, a family is what Steiner desperately needed. He was 32 closing in on 33 and he wanted to start a family before it was too late. But he was missing part of the puzzle…which was Beatrix.  
  
Steiner took a right into the alleyway leading to the ocean so he could sit on the dock and think to himself.  
  
[I]Why do I get so depressed? I have a job to do, but I'm not doing it….I don't need to do anything anymore, I rarely have to give orders to my Knights, they always know what they are doing and I feel so…insignificant.[/I]  
  
Steiner felt a light tap on his shoulder, he was a bit startled but regained his composure and slowly creaked his head around. He looked to find a moogle.  
  
2 A moogle…haven't spoken to one in quite a while  
  
"You've got mail…..! sorry I always wanted to say that, but yes you've got some mail from a….General Beatrix?"  
  
Steiner nearly fell of the pier, his jaw was touching the creaky wood beneath him, letting out gasps of air he managed to blurt something out that was barely audible.  
  
"ek….heh….Th….thank y…ou" He was shaking.  
  
"Hey buddy no problem just watch that cholesterol or your gonna have a heart attack…joke, yea so I'll see you around then."  
  
With his hands shaking and his body breaking out into a cold sweat he tried to open the envelope very carefully. He finally pulled out the letter.  
  
Dear Captain Steiner,  
  
My curiosity has sent me to the ends of the earth, and finally I may be able to find out the truth. I must find my origins and my birth parents… it means so much to me and for me to leave you for so long was very hard. But I had stopped by at Mognet Central and wanted you to know that I am ok. I hope things are going well in Alexandria and you are being the mighty enforcer that you are. I miss you very much and hope to contact you again in the near future. I'm off to Esto Gaza in search of an abandoned file archive so wish me luck. Its good to contact you again, but until next time, farewell.  
  
Your True love,  
  
Beatrix  
  
***  
  
Zidane had woken up before Garnet and took a little walk down to the kitchen to get a glass of water. He was walking down the winding stairs when he spotted Steiner.  
  
"Whoa hey there rusty, you seem…a little too cheery for my liking." Zidane said with a smirk.  
  
"You have no idea what has just happened!"  
  
Zidane was now getting a little suspicious as to how fast his mood swung. Steiner rushed up the stairs to his room slamming the door behind him.  
  
3 Right…he just get laid or something?  
  
Zidane's suspiciousness was instinct and as the thief and sneak he was, he creeped up to Steiner's room and pressed his ear as close to the crack in the door as he could.  
  
"This is amazing she will be soo happy to see me!" Steiner said with a slight wisper.  
  
"Love is calling me and I must answer!"  
  
Huh….? Oh…Beatrix.  
  
Zidane heard some rustling of clothing and a…bag of some sort.  
  
4 What the hell does he think he's doing?  
  
Zidane quickly kicked the door open and saw that Steiner had all of his armor and weapons in a bag.  
  
"Zidane! Please do not infringe upon my privacy rights!" Steiner shouted wide eyed.  
  
"What do you think your doing? You can't just leave!" Zidane was now getting hot.  
  
"How do you know I was going to leave? Why are you coming to conclusions?"  
  
"Then why are you packing your bags like you've been put on a death sentence?" Zidane countered.  
  
"Ok…yes I plan on leaving, but I have no reason to be here, my job is done!" Emotions running from Steiner's mouth.  
  
"Did you talk to the Committee for a leave of absence? Did you plan on asking me that you were going to abandon your duty to protect the queen?!" Zidane was getting very agitated and was taking deep breaths to calm his anger down.  
  
Without answering, Steiner bolted out the door. Steiner was gone, and his chances of coming back were slim, the committee would not tolerate such behavior and he would likely get tortured and killed.  
  
5 All for love…will it be worth it?  
  
What's happening to us…? The kingdom is slowly deteriorating. 


	6. Searching

Chapter 6 – Searching  
  
1 "Pickles…? What kinda dumbass you think I am?" Elroy  
  
Zidane sat out on the balcony of his room, staring into the beautiful newly renovated city that was Alexandria. He looked up to see a flock of seagulls flying in V form.  
  
Flying…in a pact…as a team, together…we're losing it, birds are dropping off one by one. We are slowly breaking what used to be the strong links in the chain of hope.  
  
Zidane wondered about Steiner, and what Steiner had said to him.  
  
"Ok…yes I plan on leaving, but I have no reason to be here, my job is done!"  
  
No reason to be here…? What?! God I'm confused…  
  
***  
  
"Noble Quincy…that sounds a bit extreme, it could certainly cause a stir to the public."  
  
"Yes of course…but maybe the public needs a new thought in their stupid little minds."  
  
Noble Calloway had worked with his good friend and colleague Quincy for more than 20 years, going through the best and worst of times. But never in his years with Quincy had he heard him even utter the word "Stupid." Quincy was a classy articulate fellow who always treated others with respect and always considered others around him before himself.  
  
Quincy was a tall man, 55 years old, he represented authority wherever he walked, he had a dark goatee, blue eyes…a lazy eye in his left. Dark brown cloak everywhere he went, you don't know if he washed it or he had an entire wardrobe. Always wore slippers, and had the driest sense of humor you could imagine. His mind was full of wisdom and knowledge, probably read every book ever made…it was incredible. He was highly respected throughout the world.  
  
But something didn't seem right, Quincy's eyes had a cloudy tone to them as if not his own. His voice was the same but radiated more of a harsh and evil vibe.  
  
Noble Calloway decided to put his thoughts on hold and give Quincy another day to cool down, just in case he was having a bad day…but up to this point Quincy had never lost control like this.  
  
***  
  
Zidane needed some time to calm down and think. His favorite "chill" spot was of course the bar down into town.  
  
"The usual?" the bartender asked nonchalantly.  
  
"You got it"  
  
"So what seems to be keepin' you down man?" the bartender asked.  
  
The bartender…for some reason you could always tell him everything and know that it won't leave the bar  
  
"Nothin really, just a little confused, kinda frustrated…that sorta thing." Zidane mumbled staring down at his glass.  
  
"So you gave Captain Steiner the old boot huh?"  
  
What the hell is he talking about?  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?" Zidane said looking surprised.  
  
"Heard you kicked the tin man out." The bartender replied.  
  
"And where did you hear this?" Zidane asked squinting at the bartender.  
  
Zidane was quite good at getting information out of people…that was basically his job before king, his mental and verbal abuse was no match for bullshit.  
  
"I have my sources." Replied the bartender scrubbing at his table slightly faster than before.  
  
"No shit you have sources…you don't just tell me some crap that isn't true, and not tell me who spread it."  
  
Zidane wasn't yelling, he was in raging control of himself. The bartender knew if he pulled another comment out of his ass like the one before, he wouldn't serve another drink in this city.  
  
Zidane was swearing more than usual today, he was grumpier than usual too.  
  
"I don't remem—"  
  
"Mick…" Zidane was looking him straight in the eye.  
  
Whenever Zidane called him by his first name, he knew Zidane was being sincere and whatever he needed to know was of utmost importance.  
  
"Quincy…it was Quincy" Mick stated, looking at his feet.  
  
Zidane had a look of confusion on his face, he squinted his eyes and bit his lip, wondering to himself why such a high class Noble would do such a thing.  
  
"…Quincy?" Zidane said in a tone close to a whisper.  
  
"Actually Quincy's name has come up in many rumors around here…if in fact they ARE rumors…ok so Queen Garnett gets called down to the Round Table…"  
  
***  
  
The landscape was beautiful. The boat ride to Esto Gaza was long, but it sure did have its positives. Beatrix looked from the ledge of the ship and watched the sunset. The sun glistened the ice water below her, the small glaciers in the distance rippled as the boat slowly moved between what was ice around them. The waters of the north were very complicated. Maneuvering a boat through this area was incredibly hard to master, only ones with years and years of experience and practice could navigate through an area where there is no such margin for error.  
  
The captain's name was Elroy Sanks. Kind of ironic to have such a name but he has navigated this area for more than 4 decades. He was a short and stalky black man, but was very built and chiseled. He turned the wheel with grace and confidence as every turn was millimeters away from the jagged ice that would pierce the boat, putting it off course or submerging it all together. He always wore a plaid button down shirt with a baggy pair of cargo pants. His hat was both circular and triangular at the same time, almost looked like that of a rice farmer. Elroy loved to talk, his mouth was always moving and cussing and making smartass comments. His 47 near death experiences are the most of any human being…taking count. He has a ticker next to his beloved wheel and ever so often he would nearly be killed, but survived…he just pressed ticker once more and moved on. Elroy is definitely somebody you wanted on your side.  
  
Beatrix spotted the beach where they were going to land and started gathering all of her belongings.  
  
"All on board listen up! Don't leave any of yo shit on my lady…unless its good shit…nah I'm just kiddin yall, but remember ta always pick Elroy's Trippins for your vacation needs." Elroy shouted.  
  
Elroy spoke with lots of passion and heart, he didn't care what he says or how he says it, as long as he gets his point across. He spoke incredibly fast and you couldn't understand what he was saying unless you saw him daily. It needs time to get used to.  
  
"Okay everybody we've arrived at Port Gaza, when you stop by my pappy's restaurant remember ta try da fried garuda, its killa."  
  
Beatrix walked down the aisle and saw Elroy smiling big and wide with his golden teeth. She was quite disgusted and brushed past him almost giving him an elbow to the face.  
  
The walk to Esto Gaza used to be long and treacherous, fights occurring everywhere you walked. But now they have a massive walkway so that people who can't defend themselves could get to Esto Gaza without a scratch. Every 100 feet there was a vendor selling something for very cheap, so you couldn't get hungry or thirsty without buying something along the way. Beatrix walked at a swift pace, knowing that the faster she went, the faster she would reach her goal.  
  
***  
  
"Pickles…? What kinda dumbass you think I am?" Elroy was getting a bit agitated.  
  
"Yes they are very nutritious and provide much energy to complete your day." Steiner said in almost a pathetic sounding vendors voice.  
  
"Well is it gonna provide me with the stamina in bed? Will it maximize my performance in da sack?"  
  
Elroy obviously wasn't married.  
  
"I…guess it will sir, your stamina and awareness will also be boosted." Steiner was B.S.ing between his teeth.  
  
"Well in dat case…I'll take 2 of em, but if they don't work like I hope they will, you gonna hear 2 sounds, me hittin you and…ok maybe only one sound, but the second will be me diggin through yo pockets and takin back ma dough."  
  
Steiner was relieved and put 2 in a bag handing it to Elroy.  
  
"Good lord, this smells like shit!" Elroy covered his nose and mouth with his hand and spoke with a muffled voice.  
  
"Yes the smell you are experiencing is the nutritious vitamins and minerals interacting to form the energy and stamina catalyst that is."  
  
Steiner could not believe Elroy was buying his trick.  
  
"right…I don't know what the hell that just meant, but I'm tryin it lata before I puke on myself."  
  
Steiner had just earned himself a ride to Esto Gaza. 


	7. The Escape

Chapter 7 – The Escape  
  
1 "Come on boss give me a break…actually give me something to eat." Zidane  
  
Garnet awoke to a rainy night. She had slept pretty much all day, this really disrupted her internal clock, at this point she didn't even know what to do. She paced the room and realized that Zidane had left and hadn't told her where.  
  
Zidane suddenly burst through the door. His hair was lazily dangling in his face do to the soaking rain. Little droplets of rain were dripping from his chin and he was breathing heavily, his mouth halfway open sucking in gulps of air.  
  
"Ok I'm not takin this shit, and your not takin this shit anymore, this kingdom is fucked up and we don't have the power to deal with it." Zidane stated with an urgency in his voice.  
  
"Hunnie…what are you talking about…?" Garnet replied with her voice shaking.  
  
"You know damn well what I'm talkin about, I know it sounds cowardly but we gotta get the hell outta here. I've been hearin things about how we are being overthrown by somebody we didn't even suspect. And that person has much more power than us and basically we're no match…so we're both gonna do ourselves a favor and jet outa Alexandria."  
  
Garnet was shocked, but somewhat relieved that she wasn't the only one with these ridiculous thoughts.  
  
Garnet ran over to Zidane and hugged him, putting her arms around his neck. She dug her face in his shoulder. He embraced her in his wet clothes.  
  
"Baby I'd hate to ruin the moment…but we got no time to be hugging, we gotta get the hell out."  
  
^^^  
  
Quickly Zidane and Garnet gathered all of there belongings and materials. They checked the room once more to see if they had forgotten anything. They both looked at the room nodding there heads as to say goodbye for a very long time.  
  
There were guards surrounding the outskirts of Alexandria and its very hard to leave without an elaborate plan or something to that nature. An elaborate plan it wasn't, but it was good enough.  
  
The guards at the base of the tower were sleeping, but the footsteps of two sprinting people sort of woke them up. Zidane and Garnet were already almost half way up when the guards realized it.  
  
Zidane and Garnet sprinted up the winding stairs of the tower, there legs burning but they knew they had to be right on time. They got to the top and shut the massive metal door behind them. The guards, and backup guards knocked and kicked at the door. They were yelling something but Zidane and Garnet weren't paying attention. Guards were now surrounding the building staring up at them in the tower.  
  
They got to the top and looked around the city. It was a beautiful city, always something going on. They knew they were leaving the very city they had single handedly saved. It was very depressing for them both.  
  
"Well I feel like we've both been used up and thrown out…but there's not a whole lot we can do." Zidane softly said.  
  
"Zidane…I feel like such a coward, we are just leaving this place like we stole something."  
  
"I do too baby, but I want to live a little longer, I don't want to be worried about getting killed in my sleep or in public…but most of all I want to be able to know that you are safe with me, I would never sleep because I would always be watching over you, I don't want anything to happen to us."  
  
Zidane was holding both of her hands, and she was trembling.  
  
Soft tears were flowing from her eyes as she put her face in Zidane's chest, where she always felt safe and secure, listening to his heartbeat. His arms were around her and even though guards were pounding on the door, and were surrounding his castle, he felt like he was in a timeless heaven. Zidane loved his kingdom and the people of his kingdom, but what he loved more than anything was Garnet. He would give anything and do anything for her to be safe. He wouldn't be able to live with the thought of Garnet being harmed. His job was to be king, but what he had was much more than a job, it was a life commitment…a life commitment he enjoyed.  
  
Garnet felt that her and Zidane had lost something since they had become King and Queen. She felt they didn't have the same fire and passion for each other. Yes they saw each other everyday, but it wasn't meaningful, they were always busy and had something to do. But even though Zidane had things to do, he would find a way to see her…sometimes going without permission.  
  
After living with Zidane and her friends during the crisis of the planet, she felt free. She wanted to be free again, she always thought of leaving, but most of the time it was a dream. Yes…she wanted to be free again…but she didn't want it to happen like this.  
  
As they embraced, Zidane spotted a dark object coming out of the clouds.  
  
***  
  
"What the hell are you guys doin?! We are flyin way too low! Why don't we just destroy the tower while we're at it?!"  
  
Baku felt like he had a bunch of rookies flying his enormous hunk of wood that was the Theater Ship. Their altitude was steadily rising and Baku's yelling had calmed down a bit.  
  
"Ok Charlie you know what to do, we basically got one chance to get this done and its all up to you, if it makes ya focus any better…a raise is just around the corner." Baku grinned.  
  
"Ok boys were comin in close, hold the ship steady!" Baku exclaimed.  
  
Charlie's job was to drop the ladder down perfectly to Garnet and Zidane. It sounded simple but it definitely was not, if dropped down too early the rain and wind would blow it to one side, the odds Zidane and Garnet catching THAT would be very slim.  
  
Charlie waited for his cue with beads of sweat dripping down his face.  
  
"HIT IT!" Baku yelled.  
  
Charlie's eyes spread wide open and he swiftly dropped the ladder down, he controlled the ladder from above so it wouldn't hit any buildings and that it went to the 2 stranded stowaways where they could atleast grab it.  
  
Charlie felt a tug and let out a sigh of relief.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!, you gotta bring em up too!"  
  
Charlie softly uttered a cuss word and began reeling in vigorously.  
  
The figure of the king and queen embracing on the ladder was quite stunning. There was rain and wind in the background with lightning flashing behind them. It looked like something out of a movie.  
  
"Well well well, look who we got crawlin back." Baku mocked with a smile on his face.  
  
"Come on boss give me a break…actually give me something to eat." Zidane replied.  
  
Baku shook his head and headed over to the kitchen. Garnet sat against the wall of the ship and closed her eyes. She didn't know if they had done something very cowardly or something life saving.  
  
"Come on Garnet, lets go eat."  
  
2 Have I betrayed my kingdom? Or saved myself? 


End file.
